Awakening
by msdarcyfan
Summary: Dante Falconeri welcome to your life with Brenda Barrett.  Don't say we didn't warn you!
1. Chapter 1

_Well people of Lanteland...I have completely lost my mind. I've decided to try a short fan fic...sort of a one shot. This is not an ongoing story. Since Dante likes to think about "what if" so much, I thought I would help him out and show him what life would be like with Miss Barrett. I guess in my own convoluted mind, this is therapy for me. I have never written a thing in my life, so don't expect much. Warning to any Brenda fans...you might want to stop reading NOW. I have so much to do before Christmas, sorry for the shortness, and I don't know how much I will get written. And don't worry...Lulu will make an appearance._

The firetrucks woke him up. Again. No matter how many years he lived in Rome, he couldn't get used to the sound of the Italian sirens. It wasn't like living back home in Bensonhurst where he didn't even notice the street noise. Those NYC sirens lulled him to sleep and made him feel connected to the city like a root to a tree. They were a memory from his childhood and a soundtrack to his years as a New York City cop. Those days were long gone.

He opened his eyes searching for the bedside clock. The room was total blackness, but he knew that was because of the darkening shades his wife had custom built into their bedroom. Sometimes he felt like she was a vampire, up all night to do a show or a photoshoot, and then sleeping the daylight hours away. After glancing at the time on the clock which was 5:47 am, he laid his head back down. He had woken up in the middle of the bed again. Was this normal for a married man? Wasn't there supposed to be some reverence for his wife's side of the bed? Dante tried to remember the last time she actually slept in that bed with him. He knew he would see her later today, but that was only because it was Christmas Eve. She was returning from Paris where she had been working on her new fashion line. They argued over her coming back home for the holidays because Brenda had wanted them to meet her in France for Christmas. He stood his ground and won the argument this time.

There was no way in hell he was going to drag their son away from home on his Christmas break. It was bad enough the kid lived at boarding school nine months out of the year. Even though Dante's name was on the birth certificate, he didn't have much say in the little boy's life. Of course if it was up to him, Stefan would live with them and go to a school nearby. He would love to walk his son to school every day and play ball at the park. Brenda professed boarding school was the best thing for Stefan. It was what people in her family did. It was a great education and learning experience, or so she told them. Dante heard what she said, but couldn't help but think it was partially her way of keeping him and Stefan apart. The boy had never been close with his mother, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. It didn't help that she would have little to do with him for the first year of his life. She said she couldn't look at the child when she knew his biological father's death came from her own hands. Dante knew she had always been jealous of their bond. From the day he was born, Dante was the one who fed him, who rocked him to sleep, who triumphed over his first steps, and who comforted him when he was upset. He could see past the resemblance to the father, and love the child within, who never asked to be brought into this world under such horrible circumstances.

Dante pulled himself from his melancholy thoughts and made his way across the cold stone floor to the bathroom. There was no warmth to this house, not the kind of warmth the sun brings, but the warmth of a family home. Over the years he had noticed the glaring omission of family dinners, and time spent with loved ones and friends. Oh they had friends, if you wanted to call them that. Brenda's friends were the cream of the crop in the fashion world. They were at her beck and call when she was at the top of her game, and shallow backstabbers when the next "it" face came along. His friends were people she didn't have anything in common with, or so she said. As the hot water streamed over his tense muscles, Dante realized they were two people living separate lives.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

How did they get here? Had he really been this numb for ten years? He thought he was happy in the beginning, protecting her, being her savior in times of need. She was the star everyone orbited around and she chose him to be her rock, or was that really the way it happened? Did she choose him, or was he the only option? Had he offered himself up heart and soul, to a woman who never once considered his future happiness? All these questions clouded his brain as Dante tried to wash the anger and confusion away with the steaming water. It was painful to come to those conclusions, but he knew he had pushed these thoughts and feelings down deep inside for far too long.

As he stood looking in the bathroom mirror toweling off, he saw a 31 year old man in the prime of his life, and yet he couldn't remember the last time he felt true happiness. He didn't even know how to dream anymore. He wanted more, but he didn't want it from Brenda. It was there staring him in the face. He had never really loved her. He was a young rookie cop, infatuated with a supermodel who liked to flirt and was good at manipulating people into doing things for her. He had stayed faithful to his promise to take care of Brenda and her baby all for the sake of what? Some Russian crime lord who had never once contacted them? Dante remembered the early years of the marriage as he looked around "their" bedroom. He didn't even like the furniture in this room. It was just like their marriage, pretty on the outside, but never comfortable. In the early years they barely even knew each other. Brenda lived in fear of the Balkan and they constantly moved around. For a long time Dante thought the fear was the reason she wouldn't fully give her heart to him, but now he knew better.

"Hey buddy, wake up," Dante said as he patted the 10 year old on his back. Movement and groans came from under the covers. "I know it's early, but we have to get to the airport to pickup your mom. Her flight lands in a few hours".

"What time is it?" asked Stefan.

"6:30. Look, I'm sorry it's so early and I know you wanted to sleep late on your Christmas vacation, but for some reason your mother insisted on us picking her up at the airport this time, and I guess an early flight was the only one she could get last minute. "

"Five more minutes?"

"Ok little man, five more minutes and then I call Luciana to come up here and get you out of bed. You know how she doesn't like her food to get cold sitting on the table," Dante chuckled as he ruffled the messy curls on Stefan's head.

Dante left Stefan's room and headed to his office to check on some voicemails. He knew there might be some calls left overnight from LA or the west coast. He and Brenda shared this office. Not that she ever did any work in it. Her job was to show up at the charity events and bat her eyelashes until someone wrote a check. He wondered sometimes if she even knew what all running a charity encompassed. _Even at my job_,_ I can't get away from her, _thought Dante. He often wondered where life would have taken him as a cop if that fateful night had never happened. After catching up on his messages, Dante was searching through the drawers for some paperwork on an upcoming charity event. The huge teakwood desk was expensive and beautiful and completely non functional. _The story of my life._ As he was rummaging through the drawers he found her secret stash. Or what she thought was secret anyway. He could feel the heavy binder at the bottom of the drawer and he knew what was in it. Old newspaper clippings and photos of that man. How could a woman who supposedly devoted her life to stopping abuse towards children associate with a mobster who perpetuated violence? How could that same woman show love and compassion for children she didn't know, when her own son starved for her attention? Dante remembered when he found Brenda crying over a newspaper article about the death of Sonny Corinthos's son five years ago. He had been hit by an unconscious driver at a carnival in Port Charles and died from his injuries. Brenda assured him nothing was going on between them, but Dante always had his doubts. Her frequent out of town trips to New York were way too convenient and had increased in past years. She always seemed to make sure the trips were before a big charity event when Dante was unable to come along. He tried to push those thoughts from his mind too. He was getting way too good at this. Emotional attachments weren't really a threat where you simply weren't concerned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
**

"Grab your coat and your backpack and let's get going." Dante knew Stefan still had his backpack filled full of games and books from flight home from boarding school, and he thought the boy might need some distraction at the airport if Brenda's plane was late. He really wasn't looking forward to fighting the traffic and the crowds in Rome on Christmas Eve. Leave it to Brenda to turn a simple task into a PR event.

The ride to the airport was silent. Dante had too much on his mind to make small talk, and Stefan was engrossed in his video game. It was a cloudy day, and Dante could see tons of people on the streets and in the stores for last minute shopping as their driver paused at a redlight. Everywhere he looked there seemed to be families. He changed his focus to the little boy sitting next to him in the backseat. _What will his memories be? _ Dante's memories weren't of an average family Christmas shopping together, but what his family lacked in "average", they made up for in love. He never doubted how much his mother loved him, and his large extended family of aunts and uncles made sure he never lacked in anything as a kid. He missed his mom. Their relationship had cooled over the years with the distance, and the fact that Olivia couldn't stand Brenda. At least he was happy knowing his mom wasn't alone. It was too early to call, almost 1 am in California where she and Steve were living. Dante couldn't believe how easily his mom transitioned from New York to LA when Steve got a postion as Chief of Surgery out there. He would call her later tonight and pretend to be happy like he did every Christmas. He knew it was for the best.

They finally made it to the aiport and found their way to the waiting area for international arrivals. Brenda's flight was on time amazingly enough, and with the traffic Dante and Stefan had gotten there right on time. They watched as passengers came through the doors, and Dante was surprised Brenda wasn't one of the first few out. He knew she never flew anything less than first class, and that group was always out ahead of the "less fortunate" passengers. They continued to watch and wait as the last person made their way through the plane exit.

"Where's mom?"

"I don't know. That's a good question."

Just as Dante was about to pull his phone from his jacket to call Brenda, it began to ring. Dante could see Brenda's number on the screen. _I'm going to kill her. _

"Where are you?"

"I've decided to stay in Paris Dante."

"You decided to stay in Paris? Didn't we discuss this a month ago? "

"We did discuss this, but my plans have changed."

_I'm definitely going to kill her, _he thought.

"Your plans? What about our plans? What about spending Christmas with our child?" Dante whispered into the phone as he moved away from Stefan who was watching with curious eyes.

"I do plan on spending Christmas with my child. I bought him a plane ticket and I need you to put him on the next flight to Paris."

"Excuse, me? What did you just say?"

"Dante, I said you need to put my son on the next flight to Paris. Don't worry about clothes or anything like that. I'll have that taken care of when he gets here. I know he always has his passport in that backpack of his. "

"Would you like to explain what the hell is going on? You want me to put our kid on a flight to Paris on Christmas Eve without me? Have you lost your mind?"

"Look, I've made some decisions while I've been here in Paris. I'm not happy and I've decided I think I think we should take a break from each other."

"Take a break? Brenda our entire relationship has been a break. What the hell is going on? He's there with you isn't he? "

"I don't know who you're talking about."

" You know very well who I'm talking about. Sonny is with you in Paris, isn't he? "

"Dante, I don't love you and I never have. This little arrangement isn't working for me anymore. Put _my_ son on the plane right now, and we can discuss this after Christmas."

"What if he doesn't want to go to Paris? What if he would rather stay here with me? "

"Don't make me remind you that he isn't your son, and I'm not above calling the police and reporting you for kidnapping."

"I can't kidnap my own son!"

"If you don't put him on the plane, I will make sure you regret this the rest of your life. Who keeps a child from his mother on Christmas? You know he wants to see me, and you don't have the heart to keep us apart."

" I can't believe this is what it's come to. After everything I've done for you in the past ten years, this is how you treat me? I sacrificed my job, my life and my heart to keep you safe, and this is how it ends. Merry f*cking Christmas."

**Chapter 4  
**

The car ride home was miserable. Dante couldn't stop replaying the scene over in his head. Stefan standing at the ticket gate with tears in his eyes. How do you explain to a child that their mother is a cold hearted bitch that only thinks of herself? It ripped his heart out to put him on the plane. He knew Stefan was torn into two pieces, wanting to stay here with him, and yet always longing for attention from his mother. Funny, he hadn't cared when Brenda said she wanted a break. The only thing that mattered at this point was the boy. She could have her greased up mobster, but she would not keep him away from Stefan.

_How did I end up in this living hell? _

Dante leaned back on the leather seat and closed his eyes.


	4. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**He was warm. He could feel the length of her back molded to his chest and his free arm rested on top of her ever growing belly as they were nestled under the covers. Dante could tell she was still asleep by her deep rythmic breathing. Everything about her was soft, and he could smell the fragrance of her shampoo as he nuzzled his head closer on the pillow. Dante opened his eyes to the bright whiteness of sunshine reflecting off the snow as it peeked through the blinds. He remembered now. It was Christmas morning, and he had just woken from one hell of a dream. **

**The sadness of the nightmare was melting away now. It had no power against the feeling of love and contentment he felt lying next to Lulu. This happiness was real and he held it in his arms every night. He knew the dream had been about Brenda, but he couldn't figure out why. Dante hadn't thought of her since the day she walked out on Sonny five years ago, except to notice everyone's lives had been less dramatic since then. He knew his dream wasn't far off from what his life could have been had he married her and helped her raise the baby back in 2007. Thankfully that never happened, and it took him years to realize the only person Brenda needed saving from was Brenda. That slow realization almost cost him his relationship with Lulu. Never since that day had he taken her for granted. Out of those troubled waters was born a relationship built on complete honesty and trust. Brenda was a picture in a magazine, once closed, forgotten forever. Lulu was his best friend, his wife and the mother of his children who was now waking up beside him. **

**"Merry Christmas baby" Dante said as he kissed her on the shoulder. **

**"Merry Christmas to you. How are you feeling? That cold medicine really knocked you out last night. I could have used your help putting together a certain someone's train table."**

**"Oh man, I'm so sorry. I guess that stuff knocked me out cold. Did you get it set up ok?"**

**"It's taken care of. Dominic is going to love it. Hey, babe, do you remember me telling you about the call we got from Sonny last night?"**

**"No, what? Did I miss his yearly guilt trip offering of Christmas brunch at the Corinthos mansion?" **

**"You don't remember do you?" Lulu said with a suddenly serious look on her face. **

**"No I don't. Please tell me no one is shot or pregnant." **

**"Dante, it's Brenda. She died in an airplane crash in the Alps early yesterday morning. Sonny got word late last night and called to let us know. I tried to tell you last night, but you were already half asleep when I hung up with him. I wasn't sure if it registered or not. " **

**"Brenda's dead?"**

**"Yeah, six people on the private jet, and no one survived."**

**"How is he taking it?" **

**"I think he was still in shock when he called. You probably should call him just to see how he's doing." **

**Just as Dante was reaching for the phone, the pitter patter of little bare feet against a hardwood floor came racing down the hallway and into the bedroom. **

**"Mommy, Daddy, please get up! Time for presents!" chanted little Dominic as he simultaneously crawled up the side of the bed. Dante reached out for him and pulled him into a bear hug. **

**"We need to go see what Santa brought!" Lulu said with a beaming smile on her face. **

**"Let's gooooo!" cried the little boy, breaking free of his daddy's grasp. **

**Lulu looked at Dante and motioned to the phone on the nightstand. **

**"Not now...it can wait. I've got a family to spend Christmas with. I've wasted too much time worrying about Brenda and Sonny in the past. This is our time now."**

**Dante couldn't muster up much sadness for two people that had always made each other miserable. He would talk to Sonny later, much later. Right now he had his own little piece of heaven to enjoy. **


End file.
